Startups Track

Young people in the MENA region are showing a passion for learning to play Arabic instruments such as the oud, but current teaching resources (whether on or offline) are not keeping up with their demands. Online lessons are not comprehensive, lack quality, and do not engage; whereas private teachers are costly, inconvenient, and in some areas difficult to find.

Ranam offers a beautiful solution. Ranam is a mobile game and smart application that teaches users to play songs with the oud and other culturally important instruments in a convenient, interactive, fun, and engaging ‘gamified’ way. It offers a library of easy-to-follow, high-quality, interactive lessons that use audio technology to provide instant performance feedback.

Using an audio signal processing algorithm, specifically developed and optimized by the Ranam team for Arabic music, it listens to the user’s instrument playing and provides instant performance feedback. The wide library of high-quality musical content also matches market demands.

• Baraa Koshak, Co-founder and software
• Bodoor AlHaddad, Co-founder
• Maan Bajnaid, Full-time project leader
• Darko Nickolic, Full-time senior software developer
• Bayan Mashat, Part-time junior software developer

A survey that has been conducted in four cities inside the Kingdom demonstrated that many customers have no idea that there are outdoor activities such as mountaineering, paragliding, wakeboarding, diving and many others. This is due to the difficulty they face to access the organizers or to identify where to reach them, in addition to weak marketing and limited capabilities.

We have created a new website and an application comprises the best service providers of sports entertainment activities all over the Kingdom, as well as marketing their services via new means to reach the largest segment of customers. We provided organizers the best services and facilities to manage their ads and balance sheets on the website. In addition, to activation of their stagnant events’ service through marketing it with up to 90% discounts. We also made it easier for the customer to browse the activities providing them with several ways of booking. We also provided the customer with all the financial options to pay for the activity fees with reminders to due dates of payments, regular discounts and prizes; along with the feature of assessing the activities to improve the services provided for both service providers and organizers.

The project focuses on outdoor activities, which involves both adventure and marketing in one place, and provide services between the organizers (for example, the cruise organizer can book a boat from another service provider on the website and offer the customer a description and pictures of the boat).

• Badr Abuzaid, Responsible for design, development, marketing and strategic management
• Ali Attwa, Project manager, software officer and responsible for daily routine works

There is a growing excitement that 3D printing and additive manufacturing could revolutionize the manufacturing industry by producing less waste and reducing logistic overheads.

Already, leading companies are eager to capitalize on these developments and to be first to leverage this technology, which has many potential applications – from aviation to healthcare and even food production. As a result, potentially significant economies can be made on a range of logistical and production elements including reduction of lead time, creation of flexible customizable parts that are often prohibitively expensive to manufacture, reduction of inventory costs, reduction of import and export costs, overcoming the limited functionality of traditional manufacturing, and reduction in material waste.

The SHAKL digital factory concept aims to localize manufacturing to enable everyone to produce their own bespoke products.

SHAKL value propositions are cost-saving by manufacturing customized products at affordable prices, flexible design options that allow producers to sell their output in SHAKL’s 3D print marketplace, and product development services provided by SHAKL.

• Omar Abuhabaya, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
• Khalid Sonbul, Co-founder, Operations director
• Ghadah Al-Tayyar, Co-founder, IT director

The problem of lack of transparency and accountability in healthcare is solved by Sihatech – a responsive website and native multi-platform application for iOS and Android. Today, a small hospital or clinic can use Sihatech for all their hospital information system (HIS) needs, eliminating reliance on external third-party IT developers and cutting thousands of riyals in server and development costs.

Sihatech is a pure cloud player. The focus is on the marketing and appointment booking aspects of the website and apps, but this is just the entry level proposition of a product with huge potential and which grows increasingly interesting to healthcare professionals. Once they have experienced the robustness of Sihatech’s back-end system and innovative ideas, they will become loyal users.

Sihatech is already being referred by existing customers and is now in the process of building a payment gateway that will allow users to apply for micro-loans to finance certain medical procedures not typically covered by insurance. It will also allow small hospitals and clinics to manage their revenue cycle with insurance companies and their medical supply payments to their vendors (pharmacies, laboratories, and equipment/consumables suppliers). Sihatech’s vision is to become the MENA region’s premium provider of technology solutions to the healthcare space to improve access, accountability, and quality in healthcare. Sihatech’s mission is to enable hospitals, polyclinics, and doctor practices to outsource all business and technology processes so they can focus on treating patients.

• Ahmed S. Al Bader, Chief Executive Officer
• Dr. Mussaad M. Al-Razouki, Chief Operating Officer
• Riyadh M. Bajodah, Chief Technology Officer
• Abdullah A. Al Ayubi, Sales manager
• Anas Dawood, Head of development
• Ali Bawazer, Aftersales support
• Safiah Al-rawaji, Customer care
• Faleh al-Shammari, Intern

The biggest market for quantum dots is for LCD display application. Currently only two types of quantum dots are available: Cadmium selenide (CdSe) and indium phosphide (InP) that are not fully compatible with customers’ requirements. LCD producers are not satisfied with CdSe quantum dots because of high toxicity and InP quantum dots because of low performance.On the other hand, due to ramping up of quantum dots demand, the industry requires higher production volumes and cheaper prices. Currently companies aren’t able fully comply this demand because of using traditional batch processing – a system that has several drawbacks such as poor scalability, lack of reproducibility, and high associated costs.

To answer this pressing need, Quantum Solutions has developed a new generation of quantum dots (Perovskite Quantum Dots and Zero-Dimensional Perovskites). These have efficiency comparable or even higher than CdSe quantum dots and are significantly better quality than InP. At the same time, materials are free of toxic cadmium.

Quantum Solutions has also developed proprietary technology for large- scale synthesis of quantum dots. Its reactor enables production of quantum dots at a larger scale than traditional manufacturing reactors, as well as being of higher quality and with improved cost-efficiency (due to low raw materials waste).

• Osman Bakr, Co-founder, Chairman and CSO
• Jun Pan, Co-founder and VP of R&D.
• Lutfan Sinatra, VP of products
• Marat Lutfullin, Chief Executive Officer

As a result of the lack of privacy and quality in the maintenance services offered, we offer high quality services through Saudi female engineers. We offer three months warranty on all our services.FIXTAG is a Saudi brand that provides mobile and electronic devices maintenance services for women; as well as the original and premium accessories for the most well-known brands.

Recently, we are about to be the first certified maintenance center authorized by Apple; which asserts the fact that our team and the quality of our work qualify us to be one of Apple certified maintenance centers.

• Anoud Al Qahtani, Executive Director
• Madawi Al-Qahtani, Operations Manager
• Jawhara Al Qahtani, Technical Director

We all experience hard times facing a challenge after another which exhausts us as we can’t take it anymore. It is one of those days where we cling to the present and can’t move on. We just need help. In spite of the fact that we are not sure how to motivate ourselves and gain more power to go on with our journey of life. Where shall we go? To whom we may talk? We always think of a friend or a person who is close to our family…are they really the right persons to share our doubts and challenges with? The answer will probably be “No”. And here comes the idea of UPOSITIVE; talking to the right person at the right time, when we really need advice or seek guidance.UPOSITIVE is a platform that connects life coaches and clinical psychology consultants to clients who need guidance and assistance services. Our service is available online and it is for the public to help them face their daily challenges and in full discreet. No one will know your personal suffering and you will be able to fix it without alarming your loved ones. Moreover, this experience will make you more comfortable.

• Zahraa Al-Muhanna, Chief Executive Officer
• Imad Kamel, Technology Officer
• Rafa Al Mughram, Finance
• Anahid Simbawa, Public Relations

Currently there is a lack of easy, efficient, and practical platforms in the Arab world for investors and business owners. Majalisapp aims to make the allocation of funds much easier and smoother for SMEs (small and medium enterprises), while making the fund investment much easier for SMIs (small and medium investments).

Through a simple app with a clear validation process, anyone who owns a business can apply for an investment and at the same time any investor can apply to have his fund invested in while getting the best deal. This system is virtual, eliminating the need for events and or conferences.

• Madhi Almadhi, Chief Executive Officer
• Fahad Algumaia, Chief Governance Officer
• Yousef Abed, Chief Technology Officer

Menwall is an electronic platform and a mobile app that offers special packages with monthly subscription (shaving package, facial care package…etc.) where it can be delivered to the customers’ doorsteps, thus saving our customer’s time! We are going as well to add educational content (video, brochures, pictures) about shaving and the most suitable looks for you.

• Ahmed Demiati, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
• Faisal Demiati, Operations Manager

Hadiya Registry is a one-stop gift registry website for all occasions. It provides an online presence for physical and Instagram shops, and helps them to reach their targeted customers.

Currently, Hadiya is focusing on baby shower registries for mothers-to-be. The mother can access the website, browse shops, choose the items she would like to receive from her friends and family and have the items combined in one registry list (a wish list). A link is created to the list and she can invite her friends and family to view and purchase items online, while ensuring that no gift will be purchased twice.

Gifts will then be wrapped, and delivered to the mother at her own home. Friends and family will no longer go through the hassle of thinking what to get her, and they won't need to waste time and money in transportation and delivery.

Hadiya Registry’s aim is to normalize the idea of a gift registry in the Arab world, and make it the go-to choice when buying a gift for someone, making life easier for the gift buyer and receiver.

The goal is to reduce time and energy wasted looking for the gift to buy, and reduce the clutter from unwanted gifts, duplicate gifts, and ‘re-gifted’ items.

• Moudi Alghashyan, Chief Executive Officer & Founder
• Demah Banajah, Marketing and Operations Coordinator

Avocado is a leading service in fresh fruits and vegetables retail through the internet in Saudi Arabia, delivered to your doorstep. Our service is the leading one in this segment. We work on delivering fresh fruits and vegetables in an easier and faster way across the Kingdom. We guarantee the best quality of products with an unforgettable service. Our professional tools of service and technology facilitates our customers’ life by making the basic needs of fruits and vegetables available at a click of a button. Moreover, we are distinguished by the diversity and high quality of our choice of fruits and vegetables, to earn our customer confidence and so they put us as their first choices.

• Hatem Al Harbi, Development, Marketing and Sales Officer
• Saleh Al-Tuwaijri, Investor, Legal and Financial Management Officer

In case that someone is exposed to a breach or loss of important data on his personal computer or if he/she was subjected to electronic extortion or need a technician to solve a problem and does not know someone who is capable of solving it as it is difficult to find the person who can provide the service on time and in an easy way.

Tweetso is a platform that connects technical experts and individuals who need help when they are subjected to extortion, penetration or even if a person needs to maintain a computer or mobile device or any technical device and other technical services that young people know better; such as missing data or memory from a personal computer and other technical services.

The platform is based on the principle of a participatory economy for technical experts, some of whose services may not yet be available in the market. The platform is a source of income for thousands of young people with technical skills and will provide work without the necessity to open a store and endure expenses to start an activity that pays money.

• Abdulrahman Al Shehri, Executive Director
• Hadi Albo Saad, Programmer
• Mohammed Nasian, Marketing Officer
• Ghada Bakr, Content Officer

Fassel provides a new outdoor advertising mean where we can control all the campaign elements including the time, place and intensity. This takes place through renting the rear glass of the citizens’ cars and using them for ads in return for a rewarding pay. Ambassadors participating in each campaign are run in places where the target group of the campaign is present at the time they pass. Thus, the cost of advertising decreases and the return on investment increases, to cover the costs of the campaign. In addition to benefiting the community members from this market’s income directly.

• Ali Al Ghamri, Executive Director
• Fareah Noah, Co-Founder
• Hossam Zeeny, Director of Operation
• Rabab Al Ghamri, Marketing Manager

Juleb is a platform that connects end-users with pharmacies. A very user- friendly mobile app, it enables customers to order products digitally and provide delivery to their doorstep. Customers can browse the hundreds of products available across a range of categories such as vitamins, personal care, beauty products, and mother and child. Juleb adheres to the highest standards of care and safety in product handling and delivery.

• Yousuf Jamjoom, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
• Rayan Karkadan, Commercial Operations Manager

Due to the presence of a large group interested in producing comic books, whether by writing or drawing, we established a Saudi company to produce and publish Arabic comic books. We aim at building an interested and productive community of Comics Art bearing an Arab identity by connecting painters and authors to produce Arab stories, print and publish them.

• Sama Al-Badawi, Creative Director
• Hind Al Otaibi, Executive Director